Air-agitating tube for refrigerating systems



Jan. 16s 1923. L--Z-, B. F.' LINDSAY ET Al..

' AIR AGITATING TUBE FOR @EFRIGERATING SYSTEMS.

FILED FEB. 24, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

411 il I Jan-16, 1923,

, R. F.-L:-NDSAY ET AL.

l AIR AGITATING TUBE FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS.

FILED FEB.- 24,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

WITN EssEs ATTOFE NEY angles to provide a pair of flat projections 18spaced from but parallel Ato the arm 16. A wire spring 19 having a coilat its inner end, where it is fastened by a niit to the support at oneside of the tube, is carried by the support and extends toward the wideend of the support, being then bent downwardly as at 20 andpassedthrough a hole 21 in the support. The extremity 22 of the springis bent a second time so as to be nearly parallel to the support 13, andextends: through a. slot 23 provided in the arm 16. The spring may bedepressed for a distance equal to the length of slot 23, but it alwaystends to move to the top of the slot, or in other words toward the lugs17. This connection provides a sprin clamping means between the supportand t e ice can.

When the tube support is to be mounted on the ice can, the spring 19 ispressed as far down as possible, whereupon the extremity 22 is partlywithdrawn through the slot, and the arm 16 and projections 18 may bedisposed on opposite sides of the upper edge of the ice can adjacent onehole 8. If the spring is now released, its end 22r will pass into thehole 8 as seen in Figure 2, and by its resilience will hold the supporton the top of the can.

When the ice cake or block is frozen, and it is desired to remove the'agitating tube from the cake of ice, the'tting 11 is detached from thetube'9, and thenfa hot water needle is inserted in the tube which warmsthe latter so that the tube may be detached from the ice cake or block.Then the spring is depressed and detached from the hole 8 of the can,and the tube raised out of the can.

It will be obviousthat clamping means other than the described meanscould be used to hold the end of thc support upon the top of the can soas to project inwardly on a level with the top of the can. The meansemployed should,y however, permit the tube to be attached and detachedeasily and rapidly.

The present invention is-designed particularly, though not exclusively,for use in connection with a low pressure air agitatingv system, which,as is well known', offers 1mportant advantages over the high pressuresytem. However, in order to make the low pressure system effective, theagitator tube must bevat all times suspended in the center o f the icecake and must be mai-ntained spaced from the surface of the freezingice; otherwise it will be frozen in before the entire core is frozen,with the result that the agitation of the core water will cease. Whensuch agitation stops, the impurities in the core water will rapidlysettleand adhere tothe surface of the adjacent ice and will` beimprisoned Aby further solidiication ofthe core water,.and the -purityas Well as the `motion in any other plane.

market value of the ice, will be greatly impaired. TheY tube supportingmeans herein disclosed and the discharge of air from the sides andbottom of the tube together give rise to a circulation of the core waterand a slight oscillation of the tube end, the same as a pendulum, asseen in Figure 2, so that the tube is kept away fromthe approachinffreezing surfaces of the ice until the core is so small that the tubebecomes'imprisoned on both sides at the same time. This is true eventhough Athe tube should hang out of plumb, or even though the can betilted at a considerable angle.with respect to the vertical. In effect,the tube is self-centering, and is `kept inthe unfrozen core water4until the ice cake is frozen. The small ,perforations in the side of thetube continue to agitate the water until they are successively closed bythe freezing of the ice cake. Good results may be obtained with only theopen lower end of the tube.

j In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the agitating device is attached to one of thelong sides of the can, while in Figure 6 it is shown connected to one ofthe short sides. The resultI is the same in either case.

Having described a preferred embodiment i having means at the otherendfor pivotally connecting the upper end of the tube thereto.

2. A supporting device for air agitator tubes for oblong ice cans`having means adapted to pivotally support the Atube so that the tubemay oscillate freely at its lower end in a plane across-the smallerdiameter of the can, but is held from oscillation in every other plane.

' 3. A support for -air agitator tubes for ice cans, having means fordetachable engagement with the ice can, and also having means forswingingly connecting the tube to the support so that the tube hangspendently from the support and may swing freely lto and fro in .oneplane and is restrained from v 4. A means for supporting air agitatortubes for ice cans, comprising a support connected withthe tube at oneend of the support, and means on the other end of the support whereby'the support may be secured to the top of the can and will projectinwardly tothe center of thecan substantially on a.- level with the topof the can,

and a pivotal connection at said. other endv of the invention, what weclaim and desire 6. means for supporting air agitator tubes for icecans, comprising a support having apivotal connection with the tube,means whereby an end of the support may be seated on the top edge of thecan so as to project substantially horizontallyv on a level with the topof the can, and a clamp mounted on said support and cooperating with thecan to hold the supportv in the stated position.

7. means for supporting air agitating tubes for ice cans, comprising asupport having a depending arm at one end and a pair of lugs spaced fromthe depending arm so 'that thel upper edge of the can is receivable inthe space between said parts, and springimpelled means movable towardthe lugs so that the support may be removably held on the can. Y

8. A means for supporting air agitating tubes for ice cans,` comprisinga support pivotally connected atone' end to the tube, and means at theother end whereby the support is secured to the can, said means engagingwith the hole usually provided at the tops of ice cans for the purposeof permitting the attachment of lifting devices.

9. A means for supporting air agitating ltubes for ice cans, comprisinga support having a depending arm at one end and lugs spaced from butparallel to said depending arm so that the upper edge of the can isreceivable in said space, a spring mounted on the support with one endextending through al slotin the depending arm whereby the spring end isconstrained to move toward the lugs so that the support is clamped onthe can, and means joining the other end of the support with the tube.

l0. The combination with an ice can and an air agitator tube therefor,of a support for the tube adapted to be mounted on the can, said tubebeing constructed of metal and pivoted to the support to swing in onevertical plane only, said tube having an open lower end whereby theescape of air from said end and the resultant agitation of the water inthe can, will set up oscillations on the part of the tube, whichoscillations prevent premature freezing of the tube before the entirecore is frozen.

11. The combination with an ice can and an agitator tube therefor, of asupport, for

the tube adapted to be mounted on the can,

said tube-being pivoted to the support to swing in but one plane, saidtube having an open lower end and a plurality of perforations extendinglongitudinally whereby the escape of air from said perforat-ions andsaid open end and the resultant agitation of the water in the can, willsetup oscillation on the part of the tube, which oscillation preventspremature freezing in the tube be- RUBERT lF. LJINDSAY. ROBERT H.HJEMRHIEJ.

